The Supreme Court Thursday issued notice to the Centre on a PIL seeking its direction to the government to allow private radio stations, including community radio, to broadcast news.

Agreeing to hear the PIL filed by NGO Common Cause, a bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam raised questions on why the government had a problem in allowing private radio stations to broadcast news when it is already being permitted in television.

"You rightly mentioned that radio is accessible to everybody. There is no problem in case of TV channels," the bench said, asking the government to respond on why private radio stations be not allowed to broadcast news.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, pleaded that like television channels, radio stations be allowed to broadcast news as this medium is far more accessible to people and radio stations can be set up without much investment.